


the worst part

by killerqueenwrites (KillainsTales)



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Endgame Speculation, Gen, Humor, Light Angst, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, and it's working overtime, he would like a refund on two teenagers please, peter and harley are stressing out their dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 01:24:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18539446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KillainsTales/pseuds/killerqueenwrites
Summary: Tony thought the worst part was missing him, the numb, dull emptiness that, once he’d remembered how to feel, ached through every inch of his being for months.Wrong. This is the worst part.Or, the Avengers have everyone back, but the fight isn't over yet, as much as Tony wishes it was.





	the worst part

**Author's Note:**

> hello, me again!
> 
> this is not the bingo challenge i promised you, but it's been bouncing around my head so i thought i'd better get it out before endgame (which is literally five days away what the heck?)
> 
> so this has some endgame speculation and possibly some dialogue spoilers? (i have no idea, we legit know nothing about this movie lmao) so if you're strictly avoiding spoilers, probably best not to read this. enjoy!

Tony thought the worst part was missing him, the numb, dull emptiness that, once he’d remembered how to feel, ached through every inch of his being for months.

 

Wrong.

 

Sure, waking up in the hospital was hellish: dry mouth; pain; bright lights; Pepper crying; Happy hovering and repeating desperately, “Boss, where’s the kid?” like every time, the answer might be different. It wasn’t hell, though. Tony had already seen hell.

 

Once they realised there might be a way to get everyone back, the hope was painfully, exquisitely tantalising, dangling the promise of their friends, their family, _Tony’s kid_ , just out of reach.

 

And it wasn’t easy to hold Peter while he gasped for air and trembled with the shock of coming back to life, but the relief of _finally_ having his kid back in his arms overcame the terror, overcame both of them almost passing out from sheer panic and adrenaline.

 

Yeah, Tony really thought the worst was over, but that was before Steve sits them all down in the biggest conference room the Compound has, and reminds them they still have a problem. A large, purple problem, with a gauntlet holding six Infinity Stones to match the one sitting in Tony’s lab.

 

“We have a chance to get him for good, to make sure what he did can never happen again. He’s gonna be pissed, because we won. We fixed what he broke. Let’s go get him before he has a chance to retaliate. We’ve beaten him once – we’re halfway there, so let’s finish this.”

 

“Cap back at it with the speeches,” Tony mutters, earning him a snort from Rocket.

 

“Is everyone up for this?” Steve says. “Those of you who’ve…come back, I can understand if-“

 

“No, we’re good, Cap,” Sam says. “Let us at the son of a bitch.”

 

Everyone nods, and Tony joins in, at least until his gaze finds Peter nodding beside him.

 

“You?” Tony says. “Nuh-uh. Absolutely not.”

 

Peter screws up his nose. “What?”

 

Harley, sitting on Peter’s other side, makes a face that screams he’d rather be anywhere but here and stares down at the table.

 

Tony huffs. “You’re not coming. Out of the question.”

 

Of course everyone in the room has turned to look at them, their expressions ranging from confused to concerned to amused. They don’t get it, but then again, they never have. They didn’t understand Tony’s greatest fear for years, and they don’t understand it now that his focus has shifted.

 

His new fear is _this_. This is the worst part.

 

“What, you gonna ground me again?” Peter folds his arms. “This isn’t up to you, Mr Stark.”

 

“The hell it isn’t.” _I’m responsible for you_ , Tony wants to scream. “You’re the kid, I’m the adult. Do as I say, not as I do. You remember that?”

 

“How’s that worked out for you so far?” Peter says. “I count one flying Vulture guy in jail, one plane hijacking stopped and one discarded parachute floating somewhere in the stratosphere.”

 

“I liked you a lot better when you were scared of me.”

 

“Yeah, I bet it was really convenient for you-“

 

“Okay, okay, can we just…?” Steve makes a placating motion with his hands. “What’s the problem?”

 

“The kid’s not coming,” Tony says instantly.

 

“Kid?”

 

“I can make my own decisions,” Peter says. “I’ve actually fought this guy one-on-one before. Kind of. I’m fast and strong and really irritating when I need to be.”

 

Steve’s face is apologetic. “I’m sorry…he’s a good fighter, Tony, and we need everyone we have.”

 

“No. Shut up. You don’t get a say in this.” Tony inhales deeply. “I will lock you in your damn room and tie you to your bed if I have to, Parker. You are not coming.”

 

“Really? I thought we were past this!” Peter doesn’t look angry; he looks like he’s on the verge of frustrated tears, which is worse. Still, Tony will take upset or pissed off over dead every single time. “You have to stop treating me like a kid, Mr Stark!”

 

“You are a kid!” Tony snaps. _You’re a kid I’m supposed to look after, supposed to protect, and I brought you straight to your death_.

 

“Yeah, a kid who can bench a bus! A kid who can lift a building and take down a plane and stop you from getting smushed with a giant alien hammer!”

 

“This isn’t a negotiation-“

 

“It never is with you! You still don’t listen to me-“

 

Tony slams his hand down on the table, hard enough that everyone jumps. “I am _not_ losing you again!”

 

The silence is deafening. Peter stares back at Tony, his eyes welling up, and Tony instantly regrets shouting, regrets doing this in front of the team; it’s just the heart-pounding terror at the mere idea of Peter in danger again is spilling out almost uncontrollably, and he never learned how to do anything about that kind of fear except yell.

 

Fuck Howard.

 

“I can’t do it.” This time, Tony’s voice is barely more than a whisper. “And I won’t. Understand?”

 

“You think I want to lose you?” Peter sniffs and looks down. “My uncle is dead. I can barely remember my parents anymore. I can’t…Mr Stark, if you…”

 

“Stark.” Clint’s expression is soft, understanding. “Do you two want to take a minute?”

 

But Peter’s on a roll. “And you want me to just – what, sit back and do nothing while you fly off to fight this guy? After you nearly died getting us all back-?”

 

“Who told you that?” Tony says quietly. Peter snaps his mouth shut.

 

He wasn’t supposed to find out. Peter wasn’t supposed to know that Tony was prepared to die to get him back, because the kid is too much like him, too damn much, and that means a guilt complex the size of the moon Thanos had thrown at them.

 

“Who told him?” Tony glares around the table. Strange’s Cloak shifts slightly. “Of course it was you.”

 

“He deserved to know, Tony.”

 

“I have just about had it with every single fucking one of you.” Tony massages the bridge of his nose.

 

“Tony,” Steve says, “I get it, okay? We’re all worried, none of us want to lose anyone, not again-“

 

“It’s not the same, Rogers.”

 

“I know it’s not, Stark,” Clint says.

 

“Barton? Would you let your kids do this?”

 

“My kids? No.”

 

“Exactly-“

 

“But if my kid had powers, had proved themselves, could fight, handle themselves, and had just as much right as anyone else in this room to have a crack at a crazy alien…well…”

 

“Fuck you,” Tony says without any real heat. “Rhodey?”

 

“I’m sorry, man,” Rhodey says, “but…Peter deserves a piece of this too. He was affected, just like everyone else.”

 

“That’s exactly my point,” Tony mutters.

 

“Listen, Tony,” Harley starts.

 

“No.”

 

“He’s freaking _Spider-Man_.”

 

“That was absolutely no help at all, thank you.”

 

“Mr Stark-“

 

“No.”

 

“You’ve tried to bench me before, and it didn’t work,” Peter says quietly. “You know I’ll find a way – Harley will help me!”

 

Clint lets out a loud laugh. “Teenagers.”

 

“Barton, you’re being the exact opposite of helpful right now.” He can feel Peter watching him, all bright determination and nervous expectation. Losing him once was bad enough, and even the thought of it happening a second time has Tony teetering on the edge of panic.

 

Still, he’s learned the hard way that Peter doesn’t do being sidelined very well. Better to compromise.

 

“Okay, listen. You do exactly what I say. You keep out of the main fight – use your webs, not your fists, you hear me?”

 

“Got it.” Peter nods quickly. “Keep my distance, web him up.”

 

Tony can’t help the grin that tugs at his lips. “Damn right. And be careful.”

 

“Duh, Mr Stark. And you…will you-?”

 

“I’ll be careful, kid. I promise.”

 

“Okay, good, that’s great. Is Dad done grounding the kids?” Wilson glances around the room. “We good?”

 

“Good.” Tony reaches out to pull Peter against his side and ruffles his hair, catching Harley’s eye as he does. “Oh, no, don’t even _think_ about it.”

 

“Worth a shot,” Harley grins, giving Peter what they both probably think is a subtle high five.

 

Clint snorts. “Yep, great. Kids are scheming, Dad’s freaking out. Family fun time.”

 

“Yes, my family was often like this,” Thor says cheerfully. “My father complained about having two rambunctious boys to no end, but of course this was before he told us we had an evil half-sister who he imprisoned in Hel, so I really believe he should not have complained at all that we were causing trouble.”

 

There’s a moment of incredulous silence.

 

“Jeez, dude,” Rhodey says with a nervous laugh.

 

“Yeah, Tony.” Harley’s wearing a familiar shit-eating grin. “When are you gonna tell us about the evil half-sister?”

 

All Tony can do is splutter in indignation, because the whole idea of Peter and Harley as his kids is something he’d really rather not unpack right now, or at all. “Look, we’ve gone kind of off-track here, so…”

 

Wilson snorts. “Well, you know when Stark notices…”

 

“No, he’s right,” Steve says. “Stop laughing, Bucky.”

 

“Oh, I missed you being all serious,” Barnes mutters with a grin.

 

“Um, hello, hi? Yeah.” Quill raises his hand. “I, for one, would really love it if we focused, and coming from me that says a lot.”

 

Tony squashes down the fear that’s pooling in his gut. Peter’s right: he can fight, and Tony needs to stop listening to his own paranoia. “Yep, okay. Cap?”

 

“We have a way to track him. We have a ship.” Steve folds his arms. “And we have the best damn team I could hope for.”

 

Carol and Natasha share a grin.

 

“So, like I said last time: let’s go get this son of a bitch.”

**Author's Note:**

> i am on tumblr @akillerqueenwrites or my main blog @akillerqueenyouare. come say hi, leave questions, prompts or yell at me.


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